Messing about on the river

What a glorious month September was. We arrived back in St Jean de Losne and moored on the steps at the town quay. As we were back earlier then expected due to the early closure of the Canal du Centre we stayed there for a couple of weeks before finally moving round to the marina and our winter mooring. We loved living on the river and there was a real holiday atmosphere on the quayside.

Relaxing at the end of another beautiful day

Followed by a beautiful sunset

And a foggy morning heralding another beautiful day

St Jean is one of the barging capitals in France. A very active place with people and boats coming and going all year round. We met Americans, Canadians, Aussies, New Zealanders and Swiss whilst on the quay sharing our experiences over a glass of wine at one of the local cafés or on our boats.

 

Wednesday evening boaters social get together

7 Kiwis on our boat!

We arrived back one day to find a local artist painting our boat which she very kindly sent on to us.

It was strange driving the car again after 4 months but it meant we could visit friends Andy and Chris on Edwina Rose in Pont D'Ouch. We had a lovely drive through the famous vineyards en route. 

New boat puppy Martha, a 9 week old border collie, was so well behaved for her first visitors. A gorgeous fluffy bundle.

The Joli Roger now all tucked up in her winter mooring. She deserves a rest until spring. This season we have travelled 1079 kilometres and gone through 396 locks. The map shows the loop that we completed.

We feel we have really got to grips with the boating lifestyle in France this year. It is hard to describe the depth of the experience and just how much it has enriched our lives. 

As Rat said to Mole " There is nothing -absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats" - Kenneth Grahame "The Wind in the Willows"

So a little sadly we left St Jean de Losne last Wednesday and drove across to Brittany for a 6 day trip before getting the ferry back to the UK from Caen. We had never visited Brittany before. It has it's own unique character that sets it apart from the rest of a France. We will definitely return for another visit.

Saint-Goustan port in Auray, our base for 2 days to explore the south Morbihan coast

The most photographed couple in the medieval town of Vannes

Coffee stop in the seaside town of Quiberon

Trois Deux Chevaux

We both loved the canal side town of Josselin and it's fairy tale chateau

But Dinan is without doubt one of the best preserved medieval towns in Brittany. We stayed down in the port lined with waterside restaurants. The climb up the steep cobbled street to the old town with its half timbered houses is as if time has stood still.

Le Mont Saint Michel, the second most iconic sight in France after the Eiffel Tower. 

Close to our hotel at the ferry terminal we spent an interesting couple of hours at the Pegasus Memorial Museum, the first place to be liberated during the D Day invasion in June 1944.

So it's au revoir to France until next spring. We have made plans right up until we return with time back in the UK, Cyprus and a big trip to New Zealand to see our son and kiwi boating friends.